Turbines for power generation are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,568 refers to a wave activated generating apparatus comprising a water turbine mounted for rotation within a housing on an upright output shaft. The housing includes a back panel and opposing sides and upper and lower surfaces that form a water nozzle which is adapted to face oncoming waves and to direct them into the housing. A wave splitter directs a portion of each oncoming wave directly against the facing surfaces of blades of the water turbine while another wave portion is directed against the back panel of the housing and redirected against the facing surfaces of the opposite water turbine blades.
The turbine may be mounted on a shaft which is operably connected to a weighted fly wheel of a power generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,418 refers to a vertical axis wind turbine supported on a frame held in place by an encircling series of crescent shaped tubular deflector vanes. The vanes widen towards the core or hub of the turbine concentrating the wind. The wind is trapped momentarily on entering a hollow interior of the turbines. A shaft supporting the turbines is coupled to a drive shaft which is then associated with a differential gear box. There are also provided a pair of split axle drive shafts coupled to the differential gear box which carry power through brakes and wheel plate couplers to electric generators.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,138 describes an elongate turbine with airfoil-shaped blades mounted transversely to the direction of flow of fluid. The turbine rotates in the same direction irrespective of the direction of fluid flow. Related U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,137 describes a similar turbine with the blades arranged in a helical configuration. The helical design has been used for power generation from tides and currents and has been referred to as the Gorlov Helical Turbine after the inventor, Alexander Gorlov.
In regard to the prior art it has been found that the turbine structures are unduly complex making the turbines difficult and costly to manufacture. The connection between the turbine and the generator has also been found to be complicated in structure especially in regard to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,568 and 5,664,418.